British Champions Day tips: 'I would make him favourite' - why this horse can win at Ascot
Saturday's stellar Qipco British Champions Day card at Ascot features six races live on ITV Racing and is worth more than £4 million in prize-money. The feature race is the Qipco Champion Stakes (3.55), featuring a heavyweight Group 1 clash between Economics and Calandagan. But who will come out on top in every British Champions Day event this weekend? Our top team of Weekender tipsters have had their say . . .
Trawlerman
1.20 Ascot: Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup (Group 2), 1m7½f
By James Hill, Weekender tipster
Kyprios will be a warm order. He has only 2lb in hand of Trawlerman on official figures and you wouldn't have that gap any bigger based on their two previous tussles on this course. Trawlerman hasn't run since finishing second to his old rival in the Gold Cup, but coming here fresh is preferable to being over the top. At the prices, I'll pick the Gosdens' stayer to win this again.
Exclusive Champions Day offer: get £50 in free bets in Sky Bet
Bet £10 And Get £50 In Free Bets
- Christmas Special
Spycatcher
1.55 Ascot: Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes (Group 1), 6f
By Sam Hardy, Weekender tipster
The Karl Burke-trained six-year-old was an impressive winner of a Group 3 in France this season on soft ground and he should get similar conditions here. Art Power was a surprise winner of the race last year and will again get his favoured ground but, as shown this season, he's vulnerable to fast finishers and may have to settle for a place this time.
Quantanamera
2.35 Ascot: Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (Group 1), 1m3½f
By Stuart Redding, Weekender tipster
Kalpana will be hard to beat if matching her best form but the testing ground is an unknown and I'm more interested in Quantanamera. She wasn't at her best in the early part of the summer but enjoyed stepping up to 1m4½f at Deauville in August when proving far too strong for Arrest. The four-year-old enjoys a soft surface and looks to have been saved with this target in mind.
Metropolitan
3.15 Ascot: Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, sponsored by Qipco (Group 1), 1m
By Stuart Redding, Weekender tipster
Metropolitan proved that he is a top-class miler when winning the French 2,000 Guineas and subsequent runs in defeat on quicker ground suggest he is still improving. The race wasn't run to suit when he chased home Charyn in August but he made good late headway for second and he could easily gain revenge on a more suitable surface. His compatriot Facteur Cheval was second last year and could go close again.
Calandagan
3.55 Ascot: Qipco Champion Stakes (Group 1), 1m2f
By James Hill, Weekender tipster
This is a proper Champion Stakes and I would make Calandagan favourite. But for City Of Troy I'm sure he would be as he would have otherwise run out an impressive winner at York. He's also a course winner, having landed the King Edward VII at Royal Ascot, and handles soft ground fine. This race has been a happy hunting ground for Gallic raiders down the years and he can bring Economics' winning run to an end.
Lattam
4.35 Ascot: Balmoral Handicap, 1m
By Sam Hardy, Weekender tipster
Lattam is potentially well handicapped on a mark of 95, having finished runner-up in the Lincoln off the same rating earlier in the season. He's run only twice since, has shown his best form on soft ground and has seemingly been aimed at this race since joining Julie Camacho.
Bet £10 And Get £50 In Free Bets
- Christmas Special
Exclusive Sky Bet offer: get £50 in free bets for Champions Day
Sky are offering new customers £50 in free bets when you place a £10 bet on horse racing.
You can follow these simple steps outlined below to grab £50 in free bets to place on the big races at Ascot on British Champions Day on Saturday. It's fast, secure and straightforward.
- Head over to Sky Bet today through this link and click the 'Get Bonus' button
- Sign up for a new account, and create your username and password
- Place a qualifying bet of minimum £10 at odds of 1/1 or greater
- Get £50 in free bets to use on horse racing
Exclusive Sky Bet sign-up offer: your key terms and conditions
It's worth taking a few minutes to read through the terms and conditions associated with the new player promotion before signing up with Sky Bet. Doing so will help you get a better grasp of the details of the Sky Bet's Champions Day betting offer and what's expected of you as a new player.
- New customers only
- First single and each-way bet only
- Odds of 1/1 or greater
- 5 x £10 bet tokens
- Free bet stakes not included in returns
- Free bets for horse racing only
- Free bets are non-withdrawable
- Free bets expire after 30 days
- Eligibility restrictions and further T&Cs apply
- 18+, gambleaware.org
Read these next:
Confirmed runners and riders for Qipco British Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday
Champions Day trends: who will win the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and Qipco Champion Stakes?
Looking for free bets? Racing Post have got the best offers, all in one place. Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more.
Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators that our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing.
Published on inFree tips
Last updated
Copy- Spotlight Lucky 15 tips: four horses to back at Fakenham and Lingfield on Sunday
- Nap of the day: best horse racing tips for the day's two meetings
- Fakenham Placepot tips: Tom Segal attempts to crack the £50,000 guaranteed pool
- Free horse racing tips for Sunday, December 22 at Fakenham and Lingfield
- The Punt Acca: Robbie Wilders' three horse racing tips at Fakenham and Lingfield on Sunday
- Spotlight Lucky 15 tips: four horses to back at Fakenham and Lingfield on Sunday
- Nap of the day: best horse racing tips for the day's two meetings
- Fakenham Placepot tips: Tom Segal attempts to crack the £50,000 guaranteed pool
- Free horse racing tips for Sunday, December 22 at Fakenham and Lingfield
- The Punt Acca: Robbie Wilders' three horse racing tips at Fakenham and Lingfield on Sunday